Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.5

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 18, 2014

Someone evidently loves the growing Alpha and Omega franchise, for the press sheet accompanying this new Blu-ray release trumpets the fact that well over a million and a half DVDs have been sold (no breakdown of or additional info on Blu-ray sales), as well as over five million digital views of various entries in the series. But quantity doesn’t necessarily denote quality, and as with previous outings, Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games is a decidedly generic looking and feeling animated film that may indeed keep the youngest tots entertained, but which lacks any of the spark and innovation that regularly inform bigger, better fare like Frozen.

Evidently meant to tie into the recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, this Alpha and Omega posits a competition between various characters seen in the previous entries. Teamwork and the ability of underdogs (and/or underwolves) to unexpectedly triumph are the focal parts of this bland and rote feeling film. Stinky, Claudette and Runt are back as the representatives of the Alpha pack, taking on a series of never very threatening nemeses in an outing that is devoid of much suspense or, frankly, interest for anyone over the age of five or so.

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

If you've seen either of the two previous Alpha and Omega outings, you'll know pretty much what to expect with Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games' AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Once again, while there are no transfer specific issues with this digitally created entertainment, the actual look of the film is just plain bland, with almost comically undercooked backgrounds and blocky, unconvincing main characters. Colors are pretty tepid once again, and there's no real verve or immediacy to any of the beasts roaming through the film. It's decently sharp—but it's a sharpness supporting an almost shocking lack of animation creativity.

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the previous Alpha and Omega outings, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track infuses the film with some of the vivacity that the visual presentation lacks. Surround activity is nicely rendered, especially in several set pieces where the action becomes more frenetic and various character voices are well mixed with a number of sound effects. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is decently wide.

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Great Games Amazing Maze (1080p) allows players to navigate Claudette through a series of obstacles.


• Wolf Facts Fun Trivia (1080p) is a multiple choice quiz. These aren't exactly Mensa level questions.

Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This franchise continues to be one of the most frustratingly generic enterprises in modern animation. There's nothing horrible here, but there's an absolute lack of imagination and creativity. This is no doubt more than acceptable fare for the very youngest tots out there, but anyone who can already read is probably going to want to settle down with a good book rather than watch this uninspired outing.